


Late

by Hawkguys_and_Coffee



Series: Inktober 2020 [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is speedy fast, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bumi is a campus monitor that rides a bike, Crushes, Gen, Middle School AU, Swimming, Takes place in 2005, also because flip phones are cool, also for nostalgia, and ive been watching criminal minds and thats when it takes place, even tho i was like two in 2005, i am not sorry about that, no, sports AU, to honor the show
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkguys_and_Coffee/pseuds/Hawkguys_and_Coffee
Summary: Aang is late to swim practice. \AKA almost 1k of self-indulgence.Prompt: Blade
Relationships: Aang/Katara (implied)
Series: Inktober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951333
Kudos: 14





	Late

**Author's Note:**

> This was purely self-indulgent and I had a really fun time writing this. :)

Aang was, without a doubt, going to get it. He pushed through the swarms of people, weaving and ducking to the best of his ability while muttering hurried apologies under his breath. By now his backpack was weighing down on his shoulders, digging into his neck with every long stride. His orange beanie was beginning to slip over his eyes, too.

“Sorry! Pardon me—oh, that was my fault, excuse me—” He ducked under a man carrying a large armful of cabbages, only to straighten up too soon and watch them tumble to the ground. The man cried out, and Aang winced. All around, people murmured and cars honked and animals barked. “I am so, so sorry!” Aang practically yelled, turing around (though still running, now backwards) to see the vegetables bounce onto the ground. Unfortunately, there was no time to stop and help. His watch beeped. Five minutes. “I promise I’ll make it up to you!”

Turning just in time not to trip over a small white cat (What on earth was a cat doing here?). He was close. So close. A chain link fence lined the sidewalk after a few blocks, and Aang jumped over it in record speed. It rang out as he continued to run, the wet blades of grass making it harder to gain traction around the perimeter of the school.

Now was the hard part. Aang had to somehow get into the locker room, change, and make it onto the track field unnoticed. A challenge, indeed.   
Fortunately, Toph and Zuko had taught him a few tricks to getting past teachers and other school officials unnoticed. Aang took a deep breath calm his heaving chest. 

The school’s security system, although he sincerely doubted it would matter, had a blind spot near the entrance of the boy’s bathroom of the F building. He jogged on the tips of his toes, sneakers barely making a sound. Just a few more feet—

“Aang? Is that you?”

Said boy totally didn’t yelp. Also, he totally didn’t jump a foot in the air, trip on his sneakers, or proceed to fall flat on his ass. Totally not.   
“Oh, Bumi, it’s just you,” Aang sighed in relief. Bumi was one of the campus monikers who rode on bikes making sure students didn’t cut class or come in late. Even though Bumi was what? 80? 90? He was still spry and fit for his age. 

“Aang, where are you going?” The old man asked, raising an eyebrow and grinning toothily. (It was the same knowing look that he used whenever a student tried bribing him with a milkshake to get out of detention. (Oddly enough, more often than not, it actually worked)).

“Oh, I was- uh- Well, you see,” He looked down at his beat up sneakers and picked himself off the ground, blushing slightly. “I’m late for swim practice.”  
Bumi gave him an odd look. “I see. And, do you know what time it is?”

“3:28.”

Bumi opened his mouth to speak but Aang cut him off, saying, “It starts at 3:30 so I really gotta go—” He started to run once more, this time mindful of his untied shoelaces. “See you later Bumi!”

When he finally got there, the boys’ locker room was locked.

“C’mon!” Aang muttered, pulling at it harder. When it didn’t give, he tried using his foot as leverage. It worked about as well as you’d think. His watch blinked 3:32. “Monkey feathers,” He cursed, sitting down on the floor in defeat.

Coach Paku had been very strict about swim tryouts. You had to be there on time or there was no chance you’d make the team. He said it built character and made you punctual, whatever that meant. To Aang, it was just another way to get annoyed that he lived so far from school. 

He’d been planning this for weeks! Katara, the prettiest girl in the seventh grade, was trying out for the team too. This was his one chance to talk to her! Aang had tried approaching her at lunchtime or between classes, but it was rare that the sixth graders interacted with the older kids. Besides, Katara always walked with her brother Sokka and his best friend (since they were too young to use the term ‘dating’) Suki. At the pool, he was supposed to get grouped up with Katara, then they would swim for a bit, he’d complement her moves, then they’d talk till the end of class. After that he would ask for her email address and phone number while they were getting out of the pool. And finally—

“Aang? What are you doing here?”

Crap.

Immediately, the blood rushed to his cheeks and Aang momentarily forgot how to talk. “Oh, uh… Hey, Katara,” He managed to squeak out after a few seconds of awkward silence. “I’m here for the, uh, swim team tryouts.”

“The swim tryouts?” She gave him a quizzical look that almost took his breath away. “But it’s only 2:30.”

“Yeah, I know I don’t want to be— Wait what? 2:30? But my watch says it’s three!”

“Yesterday was the third of April. You know… daylights savings time?”

“Oh. Right.” Aang muttered, face absolutely on fire at this point. He picked at the peeling edge of his watchband. “So… we have a whole ‘nother hour?”

“Yep!” Katara said cheerfully. “Sokka has ice hockey so dad had to drop me off early here.” She linked arms with Aang. He was nearly buzzing. “C’mon. Let’s go hang out in the quad.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Okay.” A smile stretched wide across his face as he and Katara crossed campus. 

Maybe he wasn’t so late after all.


End file.
